The Community of a Plate design team used their personal experience from life on the farm. Ruth Sauvageau and Terese Elhard were able to donate all of the barn wood with the help of their families in northern Minnesota and Eastern North Dakota. Kathleen Reitan, Terese’s cousin, assisted as carpentry mentor during five weeks of production. Each frame was built as part of a set that is hinged together to form seven towers, all of which hold the panels of stories. The exhibit is intended to engage the viewers in an authentic farm atmosphere, and display the Community of a Plate stories that highlight the tradition of farmers providing food to their communities. To view a slide show of the exhibit building process, please visit our Flickr site.

Interested in Hosting the Exhibit?

The exhibit will travel across the state and will be on display at the Eco Experience at the Minnesota State Fair on the corner of Randall Avenue and Cooper Street from August 27-September 7. We also would like hosts to help identify a venue for displaying the exhibit. This could be at a local fair or festival, it could be at a public place such as a library, art gallery or coffee house. The ideal situation would be to have it someplace where you/we could also host a dialogue/discussion around the exhibit. (Also, if you just want to host the exhibit, and not the interns, we can work with you on that.) We’re anticipating the initial exhibit will be ready by the end of July. The exhibit will grow over the summer as we add new “plates.” We’ll be scheduling the exhibit throughout late summer, fall — and likely into 2010. If you would like to host the Community of a Plate exhibit, please contact Jan Joannides.

About the Interns

Terese Elhard

Hometown: Bemidji, MN University: Minneapolis College of Art and DesignMajor: Graphic DesignGraduation term: May 2009Favorite foods: kale, blackberries, raspberries, hazelnuts, kefir, black tea, garlic, sushi, soba noodle salad at Midori’sPart of the project most excited about: Seeing the entire story working together with the exhibit we’ve built with all of the awesome material from the farms! I’m also really excited for my family to see some of Grandpa’s barn wood put to use.Favorite way to de-stress: Yoga and staying in touch with friends and family.Favorite book(s): Me Talk Pretty One Day, A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius, It is Beautiful Then Gone, Things I Have Learned In My Life So FarCountries traveled to or lived in: CanadaCollections: magazines, handwriting specimens, black and white patterns, friendsFavorite college classes: publication design, typography, experimental film, printmaking

Ruth SauvageauHometown: Horace, North DakotaUniversity: Minneapolis College of Art and DesignMajor: Bachelor of Science: VisualizationGraduation term: May 2010Favorite foods: Tortilla Chips, Vanilla Milk Shakes, Sushi, Peaches, Sweet Corn, Fresh Crab, Pommes Frites, LefsePart of the project most excited about: The finished product as a whole. My family’s reaction to the recreation of part of their historyFavorite way to de-stress: Running with strawberries at the finish-line.Favorite book(s): I’m not gunna lie, Harry Potter Series; Gertie and Gus’ Fine Fish Dinner; Cradle to Cradle; Guns,Germs, and SteelCountries traveled to or lived in: Isn’t New York a country?Collections: ScarvesFavorite college classes: Painting I, Typography, 3-D Design, Aesthetics of Sustainability, Native American Culture and Change, Visual Ethnography